


What Type of Father?

by stony1998



Series: Sexy, Cute, or Angsty One-Shots [8]
Category: Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce and Tony are married, M/M, Peter is a child, Science Husbands, Tony Needs a Hug, steve rogers in an ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-31 05:44:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3966613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stony1998/pseuds/stony1998
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve brings Tony's parenting into question, causing much pain for Tony. Bruce has to fix what has been broken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Type of Father?

"Your smile never reaches your eyes anymore."

Tony closed his eyes, flinching away as Bruce tried to envelope his body in a warm embrace from behind.

"You're angry. You're upset. What happened?" Bruce asked softly, lips brushing against the back of Tony's neck, sending chills down his spine. 

"I'm fine." Tony said softly, breaking the embrace and moving further away. "I'm tired, let's just sleep."

"Did I do something? Was it Peter?" Bruce asked, refusing to give up. "He's only 3 Tony, he'll get better."

"Please." Tony said, voice cracking. "Enough."

"I can't just stop and leave you like this." Bruce said quietly. "I love you."

"I know that okay!" Tony yelled, shaking now with his reluctance to break down. "I love you too, is that what you want?!"

"I want you to be happy again. I'll do anything to make you happy again. Just tell me what to do."

Tony broke. He shook as he cried, turning his face into his pillow to muffle his sobs. "You can't help me. I'm broken. I'm useless. I'm not worth any of your trouble."

"Oh Tony..." Bruce whispered, sitting up and turning on his beside lamp. "Tony, it's alright. Come here, tell me what's wrong."

Tony moved reluctantly, allowing Bruce to pull his head onto his lap and begin stroking his hair gently. "I'm sorry." Tony whispered after a few minutes of silence.

"Sh, you don't have to be sorry. Why don't you tell me what brought this about?"

Tony sighed. "Steve."

Bruce's hand paused for a moment and then continued. "What did he say?"

"I... Do you remember that day I spent with Peter alone?"

Bruce smiled fondly. "Of course. I came home to you sleeping with Peter on your stomach and a mess of a house."

"Yea." Tony whispered. "Guess Steve is right then."

"Right about what love?"

"My being a bad father." Tony said, voice shaking.

Bruce stopped. He tugged Tony's hair slightly until he looked up at him. "Steve didn't say that."

Tony looked down. "Jarvis. Play the footage from that day when Steve stopped by."

"Certainly sir." Jarvis replied, video beginning to play in front of the pair.

Tony sat at the table, Peter in his high chair eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Tony had a cup of coffee in his hand, and he was nodding off every few moments. Steve entered the floor, saw the mess all around and shook his head.

"Tony, what the hell happened here?" He asked, coming up to Tony and Peter.

Tony's head shot up. "Ugh, stop yelling, it's early. And he happened here." Tony said, pointing to Peter who smiled widely and laughed.

Steve shook his head. "He's a mess."

"He's a child Steve. Of course he's a mess." Tony said rolling his eyes. "All done Peter?"

"Yes!" Peter said enthusiastically, his face covered with peanut butter and jelly. His hair clung together in sticky lumps. "Can I play with Steve?"

"That's up to Steve buddy, why don't you ask him?" Tony said with a smile, letting Peter out of his high chair. 

"Aren't you going to clean him up? Change his clothes?"

Tony shrugged. "We'll take care of it in a bit. He wants to play, he'll make a mess of himself and then I'll clean him off. It's easier."

"Steve, come see my toys!" Peter said, waddling away to pick up his Hulk action figure. "This is papa!" 

"Tony you're not even taking watching him seriously. You're letting him do whatever he wants."

"He wanted to eat his crayons earlier. That didn't go down. He also didn't want to go to the bathroom which also didn't go down."

"Wow, two things you did well. Let's talk about how he's running around all disgusting. And the fact this place is a mess."

"I-I... Well I'll do it later. I'll take care of him, I always do."

"Do you? Really? You know, you complain that Howard was neglectful toward you. What about you toward Peter? You let him run around like that, you let him throw around his toys. You don't say no to him. You're a bad father Tony." 

"Enough." Bruce said. The feed stopped. Tony was shaking again, crying and trying to burrow himself in Bruce's thigh.

"He's right. I can't even take care of Peter for a day. I'm a horrible father. Just like Howard."

"No." Bruce said sternly. "Tony sit up right now."

Tony did as told, eyes bloodshot and drooping. His hair was a mess, sticking up in all directions. 

"No Tony. You are nothing like your father. Steve is entirely wrong and needs to learn to stay out of things that don't concern him."

"B-but I just let Peter play when he was a mess. A-and I didn't-"

"Steve grew up in a different time. Your parenting is unfamiliar to him. You do NOT neglect Peter. You love him, with all your heart and I know that. He adores you. You show him all of your little gadgets in your workshop. You play with him even when you're in the middle of working on the suit. You draw with him. You encourage his spider obsession, even though we both know you hate spiders. You give him piggy back rides when your back hurts. You read to him those books that you hate. None of that shows you neglecting him. Can't you see that?" 

Tony's head drooped and he shook his head. "I love him."

"Exactly. You love him with everything you have. Steve is wrong."

"Okay." 

"No, not okay. Say it. And mean it Tony."

Tony sighed. After a few moments he spoke. "Steve is wrong."

"Good." Bruce pulled Tony into a tender kiss. "You alright?"

"I'm alright." Tony said with a small smile, leaning into Bruce's embrace. 

"It's okay to not be alright sometimes Tony." Bruce whispered, kissing the side of his forehead. "I'll love you no matter what."

"I know." Tony replied in a small voice. "Thank you."

"You don't have to-"

"Papa, Daddy?"

Bruce and Tony both looked to the teary eyed child standing in their doorway. He clutched a plush spider in his hands.

"Oh Peter, what's wrong baby?" Bruce asked, maneuvering Tony as he stood and went to pick up his son. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Peter nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks as he clutched Bruce. "You guys left me." He cried, his voice shaky and nasally. 

"Oh honey, it was nothing but a bad dream. Daddy and I will never leave you. We promise." He said, stroking Peter's back soothingly and carrying him to Tony on the bed. "You can sleep here for the rest of the night, just this once though, alright sweetheart?"

Peter nodded, wiping at his nose with the back of his sleeve. He moved from Bruce's embrace and laid down facing Tony. "Hello daddy."

Tony smiled shakily. "Hey spidey. You doing okay?"

Peter nodded slightly and smiled just as Tony had. "I'm okay Daddy. Because I have the best Daddy and the best Papa. And you guys won't leave me all alone."

Tony leaned over and kissed Peter on the forehead. "Of course not. How could I live without my spider." He said, tears coming to his eyes again. Bruce lay on the other side of Peter and gave him an adoring look.

"We both love you very much Peter. Always, no matter what."

"I love you guys too. Especially when Daddy gives me peanut butter and jelly. And when Papa teaches me how to do that stretching thing." Peter rambled, his eyes drooping. "And when Daddy helps me feed my spiders. And when Papa gives me horse rides on his back. Or..." 

There were a few moments of silence. 

"He's out cold." Tony said with a loving smile.

"You see that Tony. He loves you. That's all you can hope for." Bruce said smiling back. 

"Yea... Guess it is."  
\-------------------------------------  
"Hey Bruce, what's-"

"The next time Tony begins questioning his parenting because of you, you will find a very big very green problem at your doorstep." Bruce said calmly. 

Steve gaped. "But-"

"He didn't smile for days. He refused to be left alone with Peter. He was always afraid of hurting him. How dare you tell him he's a bad father? What do you know about parenting Steve? How you where raised? News flash. This isn't that decade anymore. Things have changed."

"He left Peter-"

"If that's how we choose to raise our child it's none of your business. If we choose to let him have a bit of fun without worrying about a little messiness that's our business, not yours. Don't comment on Tony's parenting again Steve."

Steve was quiet. "Alright."

"Good. Have a nice day."


End file.
